My Magic Bullet however, smells like burnt rubber every time we use it. The motor is so weak it can't handle lumps of ice cream in milk (kids like to make shakes). My next appliance purchase will be an immersion blender from Target.

Our Magic Bullet is probably the most used kitchen small appliance. It makes smoothes for DH, DD & myself every morning, I used it to grind coffee beans as needed, and make frappucinnos instead of visiting Starbucks. The boys prefer to make frozen lemonade or frozen Tang drinks. I use it for super fast whipped cream too.

Wonder what we're doing wrong? Ours can hardly blend anything without burning up. Maybe I have a defective one. Too late though, I bought it 3 years ago.

A home alarm system. I didn't need it, I couldn't afford it, and I couldn't afford to pay more than the minimum on the 'convenient' loan the company arranged to pay it off, so that dragged on for years racking up interest. My then-housemate thought it was an AWESOME idea and basically helped the salesman convince me, but he didn't have to pay for it.

Some skin care products at an outlet mall in Kissimmee when I was on vacation, the clerk sweet talked me into buying it, making it sound that my skin looked sooooooooooo much better with it, you know the usual bs, and of course dsis fell for it, it never got used, idk what happened to it since, and this was back in 2010 that this happened, now when we are at a mall that has a kiosk with high pressure sales, and they pull you out of the crowd for a demo, we look at each other and start talking and ignore them. I forget the name of the kiosk, tried to look it up, it was at the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, or one of the Orlando Premium Outlets, but I don't remember the name of the kiosk, and looking on the websites, none of the names look familiar, they probably aren't there anymore anyhow.

My DH bought a set from some guy in a truck stop years and years ago. I've never cut up a soda can or anything like what was advertised, but my Ginzu knives slice up tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables very well.

I have a set of Ginzu knockoffs that I bought at a discount store about 25 years ago, and they're still good knives. Because they have that special "always sharp" edge on them the large knife does a good job of slicing bread, and I can cut everything from vegetables to frozen meat with them, so I consider the $3 I spent for them money well spent.

The blade part was fine, best tomato slicing I've ever had. It was the handles on them that were really the problem. Nearly all of them broke on the smaller knives. I think I have one steak knife, the paring knife, and maybe the bread one left.

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Meditate. Live purely. Quiet the mind. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine. ---Gautama Buddah

Wow - mine is much worse than all of yours - here, I'll make you all feel better!

I moved to England from Australia a few years ago with not many plans abbout what to do when I got there, stupidly. So after a week of hauling my heavy bag around to various youth hostels, I was feeling pretty lost, and paid A$3000 for a room for the 3 months I would be there. Here's the great part - I hadn't even seen the room when I paid the money. Did I mention I was feeling really lost, sad and homesick? That's my only excuse for doing something so idiotic.

So I stayed there a week, then found a job elsewhere and left. They wouldn't refund any money. That was the most expensive week's accommodation, for a room with a bed and a shared bathroom!

I bought the entire original series Star Trek on video tape. (One of those deals where they send you 2 tapes every month and charge a ridiculous amount of money. They are still taking up an entire book shelf, most unopened. And I don't have a video player anymore.

Six matching Aluratek Libre Pro ereaders - turns out that they are the ONLY ones that don't cause eyestrain for Lil Sis, who is on a shuttle bus from her area to downtown Houston twice a day for 45 minutes or so. There is just enough light from over the seat for her to read these, they are small & lightweight - so they fit in her purse, she has a spare charger to take to work with her (or leave the one on the charger at home) so that she always has one charged & ready to go.

She spent a week in the hospital last year and having something to read (with several hundred books on it) was a life saver - as soon as someone brought her the charger from home.....one charged while she read the other one.

Mom liked the one Lil Sis got first - so Mom got one, too. Now they both have TWO (so that they have a spare - Mom reads while waiting for Dad to get out of the doctor's office, while he's driving the thirty minutes to the doctor's office (they live in a small town), and sometimes while on the back porch - these are the e-ink that you can read outside or inside without glare.

And I had one for DD - but she couldn't use it at work (security issue - no electronics) - so now I have two. One of them has poor battery life - so having a second one with me isn't the worst thing to happen to me (I can remember sitting in emergency rooms, doctors' offices, and a few other places when I would have LOVED to have one of these thing).

The only drawback is that reading is ALL you can do - but no one knows if you are reading Harry Potter (yes), Shades of Gray (no), Narnia (maybe), or even a book of classic fairy tales (yeah, several). Because there is no book cover with the name of the book on the spine - what you are reading is not going to attract attention, spoilers from bystanders, and (no games & no internet connection) - fewer SS will ask you to loan* it to them or one of their cchhiillddrreenn!

*Because it isn't in color and can't play videos.....or games...or let them check their email, Facebook, or Twitter!

And the last time I got stuck in an airport - it was much easier to take something the size of a small paperback with me without sticking it in my purse than it was to turn off the laptop & put it back in the carrier. This thing fits in one hand or is quickly shoved in an outside pocket of your purse, carryon tote bag, or even a larger jacket pocket!

Slightly OT but I have both a Kindle Fire and basic Kindle. the basic you can read outdoors, and I also take it when I travel, if I'm not sure about getting a wi fi signal. I can use my phone for that, and if I lose/damage the basic one, its about 1/4 the cost to replace it, than the tablet.

I have a Nook HD+ for wifi and color - so far no one has tried to borrow it for their cchhiilldd. It is slower than my laptop but can be carried fairly easily - I just remind myself to be very careful - as replacing newer electronics is never cheap.

I traded in a Sony PRS-300 for a whatever the code is 1 two years ago - in red. It is e-ink (easy to read in sunlight), has wifi, and I got a case with a booklight for it - but it isn't quite as easy to read Etiquette Hell on - due to the smaller screen. I do use it once in a while - but it is a bit harder to load books, as it wants to load in batches of 100 or so...and that takes a long time when the micro SD card in it will hold several thousand books.....it might even hold all the books that I have in the correct format - I just need to take the time to use Calibre to get them all set up "properly". That means the way that *I* want them set up - not the way someone else set them up...I like covers on my Project Gutenberg books!

Speaking of restaurants - The Melting Pot. Some friends wanted to try it, so 4 of us, including myself, trotted ourselves off. We got two of the "meals for 2" three courses; cheese and stuff, meat and broth, and then dessert. When it was all said and done, the bill was ridiculous, and the food just decent. Nothing to write home about.

Of course, I think my judgment was clouded by the fact my one friend blurted out in an email, "oh we can treat Kathy, since its her birthday" - wihtout having any clue how much it would cost. I, however, had looked at the menu, and knew it wasn't cheap. So I think with tip, our share, including Kathy's, came to something like $80 each. so about $250 total. So not worth it, so I've never been back. I have my own fondue pot, and I can make my own for way less.

Beanie Babies. I bought quite a few of the adorable things. Including the Teeny Beanies sold at McDonald's! Yeah, last I heard, they're pretty much worthless now!

I have a lot of them, mainly holiday ones or special ones (Pooky from Garfield). I love them still. I never thought they would be of monetary value.

I still have some Ty Beanie Babies, and some knock offs (not made by Ty) that Disney sold -- Tigger, Eeyore and Bagherra. I'm keeping them for the nostalgia rather than the money. But for people who bought them as an investment, time will still tell. Some of the first editions, rare, and limited editions, like the Princess Diana, are being sold for a good amount of money. The majority are worthless because they were and still are so mass produced, but who knows in 30...40...50 years if they'll make a comeback. The problem with buying toys hoping that they'll be very valuable some day is that it takes great self control not to actually open the box or clip the tags, and it can't really be used and enjoyed without losing it's value.

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"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." Ś Douglas Adams

Haven't got through the whole thread yet but I can't be the only person who bought a chunk of the moon, can I?

In my defence, I'd just got onto the internet, it was only about ten quid, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and the person I got it ("It' just being a printed certificate, obviously) for loved the gimmick.

3 Babylon 5 action figures, which I kept in the packaging for about 3 years before I broke and opened them. I wish I hadn't spent the extra for the "mint condition, original box" when they were selling the figures by themselves for about a third of the price!

Ugh, not making that mistake again. I really mustn't look at "collectables" as "investments". They rarely are.

My parents got into time shares a few years ago. My mom did a lot of research beforehand because she knew it was easy to get in over one's head and felt she would be able to keep up with the deadlines and rules. They have gotten use out of it, but even with all her vigilance it's still been a pain to deal with some things, and I'm not sure whether it's actually benefited them over just arranging their trips independently.

A friend of mine got involved in a cosmetics-selling program. I don't think it's a scam and I know people who've done well out of it, but you have to have some business savvy, and she didn't. She spent several thousand dollars upfront for the deluxe package and spent the next few years selling off items at a loss, one lipstick at a time.

The problem with buying toys hoping that they'll be very valuable some day is that it takes great self control not to actually open the box or clip the tags, and it can't really be used and enjoyed without losing it's value.

When I was a kid, one year for Christmas I got some special-edition Barbie. I was instructed to put it up on the shelf and not play with it, so that it would increase in value. I practiced excellent self control for several months, even though her dress was sooo pretty. One day, I was bored and decided to open it. The reaming I got for opening that package! I never even got the Barbie out; it was taken away and carefully glued back together before going back up on a shelf.

Ten or so years later, my mother finally sold it. At a garage sale. For $1.

PSA: If you want to buy a toy in hopes of it increasing in value, don't give it to your child for Christmas and expect them to never, ever play with it.

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"From a procrastination standpoint, today has been wildly successful."